Auxiliary sustaining means for airplanes



June 10, 19 .0;

J. F. BERRY AUXILIARY SUSTAINING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Filed May 21, 1929 2 Shgets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; -/;H/v f. .BA'KEY A TTORNE Y.

June 10, 1930 BERRY 1,763,454

AUXILIARY SI JST AINING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES FileduMay 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN FRANKLIN BERRY, OF LEWIS, IOWA.

AUXILIARY SUSTAINING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Application filed May 21,

This invention .relates to airplanes of heavier than .air flying machines and particularly to an auxiliary sustaining means therefor, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby the vacuum created above the wings or aerofoil of, the plane may be increased or largely created by the use of horizontal propellers located in the wings or aerofoils of the plane.

A further object is to dispose these propellers in openings passing entirely through the wings so that the propellers when in operation will not only cause a partial vacuum above the wings, but will cause a compression of air beneath the body of the plane and beneath the wings whereby to assist in sustaining the plane.

A further object is to provide a machine with horizontal propellers disposed in the wings which may be used whenever necessary to assist in lifting the plane, sustain it, or lowering it in the air.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an airplane constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the plane through the horizontal propellers;

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section showing in detail the means for operating the shutters;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on a horizontal plane through a portion of the wing showing the shutter operating means for one of the wings;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse sec- .tion through one of the wings showing the shutters and tracks therefor;

Figure 7 is a-section through one of the wings showing the tracks for the shutters in elevation.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates the body of an airplane of any usual or suitable character, but illustrated as a monoplane. This body I have illustrated some- 1929. Serial No. 364,827.

,what diagrammatically. The body as usual has the tractor propeller 11 driven from the engine 12, the engine shaft being designated 13. Extending laterally from the body 10 are the wings or aerofoils 14 which may be of any suitable character and are also illustrated diagrammatically and without showing the usual trussed arrangement. Formed in these. wings 14 are the air passages 15 which extend entirely through the wings, there being one of these air passages shown on each side of the body of the airplane.

Disposed in these air passages mounted in suitable bearings therein, are the propellers 16 which may be of any suitable character and are designed to be rotated in such a direction that under ordinary circumstances, the propellers will cause air to be drawn downward from above the propellers as shown by the arrows in Figure 2 and forced downward against the air below as also shown by the arrows in Figure 2.

I do not wish to be limited to any particular means for driving these propellers, but I have illustrated the "engine shaft 13 as be-' ing clutched to a shaft section 17 by means of any suitable clutch 18. This shaft section 17 is lllustrated as being provided at its rear end with a beveled gear Wheel 19 which engages the beveled gear wheels 20 mounted upon the outwardly and laterally extending shafts 21 which extend through the fuselage.

These shafts at their outer ends carry the beveled gear wheels 22 which mesh with beveled gear wheels 23 mounted upon the shafts 24 of the propellers .16. Thus when the clutch 18 is thrown in, the propellers will be rotated in a direction to exert a lifting force upon the plane, that is, to discharge air from the propellers downward against the air below, thus compressing the air below and exhausting the air from above the upper surface of the wings. Preferably the shutters 25 will be mounted within the wings, these shutters being of such size that they may be shifted across the passages 15 to thereby close these passages. Preferably, each shutter consists of a pair of shutter members, each disposed in close proximity to the upper and lower surfaces of the wings and manually operable means is provided for shifting these shutters so as to close or openings 15. These shutters, in order to pass the shaft 24 must be slotte The engine 12 is operatively connected to the propeller 11. by means of a clutch illus trated diagrammatically at 26, this being the-usual'clutch for this purpose.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular form of the clutch 18 as this is merely shown diagrammatically as it is obvious that a friction clutch might be used whereby the propellers 16 may be more or less positively engaged with the shaft 17 to permit the propellers 16 to operate at the full speed a less speed than that of the-shaft or other means might be provided for securing differentspeeds for the propellers 16. By means of this clutch 18 the horizontal propellers 16 may be connected to or disconnected from the motor at the will of the operator. Of course, the control means for the plane including the controlling means for the clutch 18 is operated from the cock pit 27.

While any suitable means for operating the shutters 25 may be used and while the shutters may be of any suitable construction. I have illustrated in Figure 4 one means for this purpose. Preferably, the shutter elements 25 will be shifted outward when they come into alinement with the propeller openings so as to close the openings 15 and be flush therewith. To this end, each of the shutters as shown in Figure 2 is approximately rectangular in form and formed with a central raised portion 27 which will fill the space 15 when the shutter is forced upward. Each of these shutters 25 is provided at its corners with the rollers 28 and these rollers operate in the tracks 29. Each of the tracks 29 is provided with two upwardly extending branches 30 and thus when the shutter is shifted along the tracks 29, the rollers will roll up the branches 30 in case of an upper shutter (or roll down the branches 30 in case of a lower shutter) and the shutters will fit v into the spaces 15.

For the purpose of operating the shutters, I have illustrated an endless sprocket chain 31 for each shutter trained over the lateral sprocket guide wheels 32 mounted in the wing and over the end sprocket wheels 33 and 34. The sprocket wheel 33 is provided with a crank'handle 35 whereby it may be operated and with a pawl or latch 36 forv holding it ter in its closed or open position. The shaft from movement to lock the shut- 37 of the sprocket wheel 34 is provided with a gear wheel 38 which engages with the rack bar 39; his bar being mounted in guides 40, when the sprocket wheel 34 is operated by the sprocket chain 31 in one direction, the rack 39 will be forced inward and when it is operated in the other direction, the rackwill be -forced outward. This rack carries upon partially close the or atpellers mounted in said it'the two links 41, both of these links being hinged to the rack bar 39 and hinged to one of the corresponding shutters 25. These hinged links 41, when the rack bar is shifted in a direction to carry the shutters in register with the openings 15 will permit the shutters to move along the inclined portions of the. tracks 39 to close the openings 15 as before described. Reverse operation of the crank 35 will cause the shutters to move in the reverse direction. This means the shutters may be closed or opened at the will of the operator, the shutters being closed, of

course, when the propellers 16 are inactive.

1. An airplanehaving laterally projecting wings, each wing being formed with a passage extending vertically therethrough, propellers mounted in said passages and driven from the engine of the lane, the propellers drawing air downward rom above the wings and forcing the air through the wings and downward against the shutters mounted within the" wings and adapted to be shifted to close said openings, tracks upon which the shutters are slidingly mounted, the tracks having branches extending toward the openings whereby the shutters, as they are moved along the tracks, will 'be'carried into said openings and be approximately flush therewt-h, and manually oper able means for operating the shutters.

2. An airplane having laterally projecting formed with a paswings, each wing being sage extending vertically therethrough, propassages and driven from the engine of the )lane, the propellers drawing air downward rom above the wings and forcing the air through the wings and downward against the air below the wings, shutters mounted within the wings and adapted to be shifted to close said openings, tracks upon which the shutters are slidingly mounted, the tracks having branches extending toward the openings whereby as the shutters are moved along the tracks, they will be carried into said openings and be approxlmately flush therewith, and manually operable means for'operating the shutters comprisin a rack bar for each pair of shutters, links flexibly connecting the shutters to the rack bar, and means within the fuselage of the plane whereby the rack bar may be shifted in one direction or the other.

3. An airplane having laterally projecting Wings,-each wing being formed with a pasair below the wings,

sage extending vertically therethrough, propellers mounted in said passages and driven from the engine of the plane, the propellers drawing air downward from above the wings and forcing the air through the wings and downward against the air below the wings, shutters mounted within the wings and adapted to be shifted to close said openings, tracks upon which the shutters are slidingly mounted, the tracks having branches extending toward the openings whereby as the shutters are moved along.the tracks they will be carried into said openings and be approximately flush therewith, and manually operable means for operating the shutters comprising a rack bar for each pair of shutters, links flexibly connecting the shutters to the rack bar, and means within the fuselage of the plane whereby the rack bar may be shifted in one direc-- tion or the other including endless sprocket chains, a driving sprocket disposed within the fuselage and having means whereby it may be rotated by the pilot, a driven sprocket wheel over which the chain passes, and a gear wheel in connection with the driven sprocket wheel and engaging said rack bar.

4. In an aerofoil having a vertically disbeing substantially-flush with the upper and lower surface of said aerofoil when said raised portions have moved into register with the openings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN FRANKLIN BERRY.

posed opening therethrough, a propeller rotatably mounted in said opening and adapted to force the air downwardly therethrough, a closure member slidably mounted .in said .aerofoil, guide means for said closure member, manually operated means for moving said closure member across said opening, and means for moving said closure member outwardly whereby to position the outer faces of said closure member substantially flush with the outer faces of said aerofoil.

5. In combination with an aerofoil having a vertically disposed opening therethrough, a

propeller rotatablymounted in said opening, means for rotating said propeller, a slidable closure member mounted in said aerofoil, said closure member havinga' raised portion adapted to register with said opening in said aerofoil, means for longitudinally moving said closure member whereby to position said raised portion in register with said opening, and means for moving said closure member outwardly upon longitudinal moverient thereof whereby to position said raised p0"- tion in alignment with the outer face of said aerofoil.

6. In an aerofoil having a vertically disposed opening therethrough, a propeller rotatably mounted in said opening, manually controlled means for operating said propeller, a closure member having a raised portion adapted to register with the opening in said aerofoil adjacent the upper and lower 7 surfaces thereof, operating means for said closure member, guide means for said closure member, said closure member having a longitudinal slot opening through one end portion thereof, and means formed integrally with said guide means for forcing said closure member outwardly whereby to position the outer face thereof substantially flush with the outer face of said aerofoil.

7. In an aerofoil having a vertically dis-v posed opening extending through the upper and lower surfaces thereof, a propeller rotatably mounted in saidopening, an upper and a lower closure member, said upper and 

